Josh Gelernter | How To Turn New York Red

How To Turn New York Red

The Trump rebellion has been a nightmare for Republicans, but it could have an upside.

For NR readers and conservatives everywhere, it’s been a rough primary week. Maybe Rubio will still pull it out. Maybe he’ll fall on his sword and endorse Cruz. Maybe we’ll all learn to love Trump.

But there is one upside at least to the Trump rebellion: He’s attracting a lot of blue-collar Democrats. So many that serious people are seriously discussing the possibility of Democratic “blue wall” states breaking for the GOP in November — industrial states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, maybe even Massachusetts. Even better: Last week, the New York Post reported that “confidential polling data” showed that, against Hillary, Trump could win New York.

Imagine for a moment that, this November, New York and its 29 electoral votes are in play for the first time since ’88. Imagine, then, Republicans seriously fighting for one of New York’s Senate seats for the first time since Hillary beat Rick Lazio in 2000. Republican bête noire Chuck Schumer is up for re-election in 2016, and if everything breaks right, there’s an outside chance a Republican could beat him.

Warms the cockles of your heart, doesn’t it?

Chuck Schumer won his last Senate race with 65 percent of the vote. For beating him to be in the realm of possibility, two things would have to happen: There would have to be a surge of working-class Democratic support for the GOP’s presidential nominee, and the GOP would have to find someone to run against Schumer who had comparable cross-aisle appeal.

Happily, New York Republicans have the very man: beloved former Met, current Mets broadcaster, and Seinfeld cultural icon Keith Hernandez. (Read More)